Just another WordPress.com weblog

Some pictures

After the last blog of copies of our ‘school work’ I figure I should put up some pictures as well!

Loving the Sun!

School at the Chalk Board

Shiloh adds ‘moo’ to our list of ‘m’ words.

Aslan does ‘wet, dry, try’ with the letter ‘R’.

Language Development

It is so interesting to see how different the kids are in language development. We’ve realized that Liesel has been speaking in full sentences, sometimes she uses words. But she knows exactly what she’s going on and on about! Recently she’s said, “I want Kim Chi.” “I want to throw it away.” “Where’s Auntie Katie?” and “This is Shiloh’s.” Usually we can tell this is what she’s saying because of the context, or because she’s repeating what someone else just said. The words are not all super clear, in fact, it’s more like one loooong word with the correct number of syllables and the correct inflections. All the other adults who know her well, agree, though, “She just said, ______________! Did you hear it too? Or am I just imagining things?” “Nope, I heard it too!” It’s sort of hit and miss. I believe Liesel is improving, but whether or not the correct sounds come out, she’s certainly trying to tell complete stories! In fact, she just told me something very important, but I have absolutely no idea what it was!

Aslan, on the other hand, started saying words at a much earlier age than Liesel or Shiloh. (He was also the latest walker. My Oma insists that children seem to walk early or talk early but not both!) Aslan had absolutely no syntax or flow though! He’d wanted to say each word perfectly so he learned one word at a time. When he started stringing words together, his sentences were full of seams, sort of like when you listen to an automated phone number. His message was clear, but the emotion and emphasis was all mixed up! He has since grown out of that. Now he talks non-stop and can tell a great story!

Shiloh was different also. He started saying words earlier than Liesel, and later than Aslan. He had lots of emotion and flow, but only I could understand him for a long time. Even now, many adults have to really work hard to understand what he’s saying. He’s stuttered here and there, usually when he is exploding with new vocabulary. I think it’s also because he’s grown up having to compete with Aslan for attention, and he has to work so hard to get his story in when Aslan (rarely) takes a breath of air. He has often surprised me with his understanding in questions, and his ability to speak in a ‘man voice’ when we have to tell him not to whine.

Locked in the Bathroom!

Last Monday afternoon as I went to throw away a dirty diaper, I heard cries from the bathroom. I went to let Liesel out, but somehow she had gotten locked in! She yelled for me periodically while I reassured her and ran to get my knitting needles to unlock the door. I couldn’t do it! She was not pleased with the situation, but she didn’t lose it until after I called James and found out he was on the way home. “Papa’s coming to help you get out,” I said, and she broke down bawling. Poor little girl! James suggested to give her chocolate chips, which we slid under the door along with colorful papers. The boys and I desperately tried to cheer her up a bit, but to no avail. I continued to work on unlocking the door. I used to successfully unlock the doors in our last house, but this would not work! The boys were so sweet as we sang songs and tried to make a game out of giving her chocolate chips (which she wouldn’t eat.)

Finally, James arrived and got to work. He couldn’t get the knitting needles to unlock it either, and I was trying to calculate how to get her away from the door so we could knock it down. Finally, James found a bobby pin and was able to stick it in a little hole inside the door knob and twist it to unlock! Hooray! Liesel was free! In all the commotion, I had forgotten that I never got to put a fresh diaper and pants back on the girl. Poor little cold legs! She cuddled for a long time and ‘told’ us all about her frightening experience. We all snacked on some chocolate chips, as I had told the boys they couldn’t eat any until Liesel was out. Here are pictures of the aftermath: